Bob Olhsson started in pro audio when he was 16.
Facilitated by a brand new driver's license, he showed up one Saturday on the doorstep of United Sound in Detroit. A hundred Saturdays (and burgers with the chief engineer) later, Olhsson had his first job in a studio. At the time United Sound was the largest independent studio in Detroit and Olhsson’s audio education was enriched by listening to discussions among the engineers in the United Sound shop, and watching artists like George Clinton, Johnny Taylor and Barbara Lewis record hit records. It was the guys at United Sound that suggested Olhsson go to a recording studio he had never heard of to look for a job after his first year in college. And so a year later as a nineteen year old Olhsson joined one of the most creative and unique recording environments ever: Motown Records. At Motown Olhsson started as a mastering intern and later moved into the recording studio, working on hit records for Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and a host of other legendary Motown artists. By the time I left Detroit in 1972 I had worked on 48 top ten singles.
Olhsson’s interest in working with rock bands grew out of working with Motown’s Rare Earth, followed by work with a veritable Whose Who of the leading British rock producers from the 1960s. And when it became obvious Motown was leaving Detroit, Olhsson moved to San Francisco where his west coast adventures included everything from classical albums for Harmonia Mundi to Quicksilver Messenger Service, and the Grateful Dead. In 1991 Olhsson immersed himself in digital audio and moved into mastering with a natural progression into work in film, video, and multimedia. As an early adopter of digital editing for motion picture post production and surround sound, Olhsson worked with Andy Wiskes to introduce the gang at Skywalker Ranch to Digidesign. An audiophile extraordinaire, Olhsson’s encyclopedic knowledge of recording hardware and software, audio electronics, miking techniques, and mastering skills contributed greatly to the overall sound quality of the Song of America.
Bob Olhsson offers his audio expertise and mastering services through Bob Olhsson Audio and also masters at Georgetown Masters in Nashville, TN.
